POSTURE
Standing sideways, look into a full-length mirror and relax. it’s a fair bet that your stomach and bottom stick out, the small of your back is arched, and your shoulders and head are forward. You may also be leaning on one leg and pushing your thighs out. Poor posture can lead to stress injuries in the joints, back and neck, even causing arthritis, according to physiotherapists. Stand really straight, lift your upper back, head and shoulders upwards, tuck your bottom under your hips and straighten your lower back. Then relax your shoulder and knees.
MOUTH
Look for white or red patches on the inside of your mouth or tongue, or painless ulcers which have not cleared up after about two weeks, as these could be signs of oral cancer.Smoking and heavy drinking greatly increase the risk of mouth cancers, so regular checks are vital.
BREASTS (For women)
Learn what your breasts are normally like by looking in a mirror to check their position and shape. In the shower, gently feel around the entire breast and up into your armpit with the flat of a soapy hand. Normal breast tissue can feel a bit lumpy, but look out for obvious lumps and areas of thickening that feel different from the rest of the breast. Check for changes in appearance, such as dimpling, a change in size, pain on one side of the breast that doesn’t disappear when your period starts or discharge from your nipples. If you find anything that concerns you, see your doctor right away. Nine times out of 10, lumps are no cause for alarm, but it’s always better to check.
NAILS
White marks may indicate zinc or protein deficiency. Try a daily zinc supplement and make sure you’re getting enough protein from fish, meat and cheese. Flat nails that dip inwards could mean iron deficiently. Other marks such as horizontal or vertical ridging or black marks are usually a sign of damage to the nail itself and should sort themselves out. Brittle, soft, shiny nails without a moon may indicate an overactive thyroid.
HAIR
Stress, hormonal changes and hereditary factors play a part in hair thinning but a bad diet can also be the culprit. Iron deficiency is an especially common cause. Crash or fad diets can also exacerbate hair loss because nutrients such as B-complex vitamins and trace elements such as zinc and folic acid may be in short supply. Eating a nutritious diet and supplements should put things right. The Pill or hormone replacement therapy (for pre-menopausal women) can also cause hair loss - a change in prescription may be all that’s needed.
NECK
Lumps in the neck should be checked if they persist. The thyroid gland lies between the Adam’s apple and the top of the breastbone. A swelling here known as a goitre may develop in either an overactive or underactive thyroid. Other causes include iodine deficiency.
SKIN
Look out for changed or new moles - any flat, dark blackish-blue marks on the body should be investigated. On the face basal cell carcinoma (a tiny, pearly, skin-coloured spot) is more common and easy to treat. A scaly yellowish or pinkish patch of the skin may be solar keratosis which should be checked. Excess body hair and acne, possibly with weight gain can indicate polycystic ovary syndrome causing menstrual irregularities.
EYES
They are a good indicator of thyroid disorders and can also signal high cholesterol. If the whites are visible above and below the iris and the eyes stare or bulge you may have an overactive thyroid. Signs of an underactive thyroid are bags under the eyes, puffy lids and thinning of the outer third of the eyebrows. However these symptoms are very gradual and are also high cholesterol can be a grey-white ring - an arcus senilis - around the edge of the iris and/or yellowish lumps of fat, called xanthelasma on the eyelids. If you see any of these, ask for a blood test with the doctor.
KEEP YOUR WIGHT IN CHECK
Being overweight increases your risk of heart disease and arthritis in your knees and hips. Here’s how to calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI). If you’re 1.63m tall, multiply 1.63 by 1.63 to find the square of your height (2.66). Then if your weigh 64kg for instance, divide 64 by 2.66 (the result is 24). If your score falls between 25 and 30, you need to think about losing weight.
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